The overall objectives of the Core Clinical Laboratory (CCL) are to provide expertise and resources, skilled laboratory technology, and specialized laboratory parameters needed for clinical trials. The major focus is on methods that are appropriate to monitor and assess the activity of new cytotoxic and immune modulating antineoplastic agents. The unit provides a variety of reliable assay methodologies with a high level of quality control, and then supplies the analyzed data to the clinical investigator. The CCL provides the laboratory support for institutional cancer clinical trials. In addition, the CCL provides the logistical support for trials that require specimen collection and assessment of multiple parameters ranging from specialized tests for patient eligibility, to quality control of specialized therapeutic modalities. Since first providing support of immune-modulating and cytotoxic therapies, the CCL has broadened its function to specialized clinical correlates for the monitoring of novel approaches to cancer treatment. The primary users of the shared resource are Cancer Center members with peer reviewed research projects that require the specialized assays available in the CCL.